ND Officials Eye Dikes, Dam Around Threatened Town
VALLEY CITY, N.D. — North Dakota National Guard members are patrolling dikes along the bloated Sheyenne River and engineers are monitoring an upstream dam as the town of Valley City fights a record flood.
The elderly, disabled and people living in low-lying areas were urged to evacuate Wednesday.
National Guard Capt. Dan Murphy said Wednesday that there were no overnight problems with dikes protecting the city.
Murphy said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closely monitoring Baldhill Dam upstream on the river to see how much water the dam can hold back.
The Sheyenne River is already above the 20-foot Valley City record set in April 1882. It was at 20.37 feet early Wednesday and is projected to crest at around 21.5 feet later this week.
